Sermons

There is an undeniable romance with the Christmas holiday.

• With all that has/is happened[ing], aren’t we ready for a little romance?

 

• Working through isolation provokes a desire to be together more.
  • Need to congregate, around what we affirm.
    • Celebrate Christ’s birth by conviction.
    • Confessing all were prophecies true!

 

• Our conviction is what brings joy.
  • Makes hope in Jesus full.
  • Still, we find ourselves asking, “Why everyone does not feel the same?”

 

• Culture surges to celebrate Christmas.
  • People, want to be together.
    • Making Family central.
    • Christmas brings much-needed magic.
      • Christmas reminds us that most people still need Jesus.
      • Most do not know Jesus as their true Savior.

 

This is the occasion to ask, “Why Don’t People Believe?”

The diagnosable reason?

• Flipping the question exposes why we have a hard time answering this question.
  • We rationalize away the real source for unbelief,
  • Relying on man-made arguments for why Jesus is Messiah!
    • What Time Magazine and History Channel do every year.
    • “Surely the sheer data proves the prophesies of Jesus true!”

 

1. There are too many prophecies not to believe. Too many of them; the amalgam of verses next to any other prognosticator pales by comparison. 80% of them have already come to pass.

 

2. The historical gap is too wide not to believe. The gap is unbridgeable. 600-700 years distance between what was spoken and what came to pass.

 

3. The prophecies are too precisely fulfilled not to believe. Bethlehem was a no-named obscure place for the Savior to be born, yet it was predicted. Crucifixion as a form of punishment had not been invented and yet Messiah would be pierced. Archaeological digs have verified what the Bible has mapped out all along.

 

4. The logic is too strong not to believe. Arguments on Jesus being Messiah are irrefutable. Logically speaking there could be no other person who has ever lived whom this could be. A Jew from the line of David, geographically from Bethlehem. One whom defined two stages of history (B.C. and A.D.). One who declared himself Son of God, over and over again and backed it up with miracles. Either a crazed lunatic or He is who he said He was.

 

5. The story of the Messiah is too inspirational not to believe. This story has captivated cultures worldwide, for centuries! Hear the prophetic titles: Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Think of the storied events: Mary, Joseph, Wisemen, Shepherds, infant born in a stable make for unparalleled poetic inspiration.  

I agree with all this. Every one of them.

• Still – None of these arguments ever saved anyone.
  • What people call: “Evidences.”
    • Apologetics uses “evidences” to prove the Gospel true.
      • Most believe, stacking up enough evidences will persuade unbelieving friends/family to believe.
        • Good chemistry!
        • Not believing because – not take a hard enough look at the evidence!

 

• Good apologetics versus Bad apologetics.

“Does this have anything to do with changing someone’s heart, whatsoever?”

• I submit “evidences” are as reliable as, The Scientific Method and as equally flawed.
  • Am I questioning:

 

“Whether it is possible for an Old Testament prophecy to be flawed, not coming true, or only being partially fulfilled?”

 

• “Is it possible someone has pulled the wool over our eyes for their own ends?”
• “Is it possible someone staged events, to answer the Old Testament prophesies?”

 

• Anything but Scripture, I assert an emphatic “YES!”
  • People stage for Big Foot or Aliens and redact and re-write history at will, all for their own agendas.
  • When it comes to Scripture, I assert an emphatic “NO!”
    • Because of the nature of Scripture itself.
      • It is utterly impossible for Scripture to be flawed.
      • Consequently, equally impossible for Scripture’s prophecy to go unfulfilled.

 

• Bc/Scripture, every prophecy regarding Jesus/Messiah absolutely must be true!

Comforting because debate skills – never enough to convince a heart dead in sin – to change.

• Concerns for unbelieving loved ones always heightened at Christmas time.
  • Culture raises these “evidences” for Jesus up.
  • Ironically weakening the case for Jesus by brushing HIM aside.
  • Jesus is Blasé

If the answer is Scripture and Scripture is rock solid, making prophecies perfect:

“Why do so many refuse to simply believe them?”

I want to answer this by tracing Israel’s unbelief, past, present, and future. The most likely candidates in the history of humankind to believe, that would not!

• Answering Israel’s unbelief answers anyone’s unbelief.
  • Israel’s unbelief, a looming backdrop, is in stark contrast to Messiah’s light.
    • Diagnosing what went wrong with “God’s chosen” unlocks the issue of unbelief in general.
    • Then understanding how Israel believes (in the future) unlocks believing in general.      

Let’s anchor in Isaiah 53, first two verses (vv.1-2).

What Paul quotes in Romans 10:16 to prompt believing!

^ESV  Romans 10:16 But ^athey have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, ^b“Lord, who has believed what he has heard from us?”

^ESV  Romans 10:17 So ^afaith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.

Isaiah 53 has been called the Gospel of the Old Testament.

• Single chapter/most compelling/complete prophesies from the OT (Gospel). 

• Taking some material from The Gospel According to God by MacArthur.

Mr. Moody asked if had creed in print, “Yes sir; you will find it in the 53^rd of Isaiah.” A condensed Bible in one chapter; whole gospel here. Isaiah, most quoted of all OT prophets.

Spurgeon, “This is one of the chapters that lie at the very heart of the Scriptures. It is the very Holy of holies of Divine Writ. Let us, therefore, put off our shoes from our feet, for the place whereon we stand is especially holy ground. This fifty-third of Isaiah is a Bible in miniature. It is the condensed essence of the gospel.”

Polycarp, 2nd-century church father, “The Golden Passional of the OT.”

Augustine, “the fifth gospel.”

Calvin, sermon titled, “The Gospel According to Isaiah.”

Luther, declared, “Every Christian ought to have it memorized!”

Isaiah is the author/prophet, written during the reign of King Uzziah (790-739 B.C.).

• A contemporary to Hosea and Micah.

 

• Isaiah prophesied during the period of the divided kingdom, a major thrust of the message to the southern kingdom of Judah.
  • Condemned ritualism and idolatry; foresaw the coming of Babylon, captivity.
  • 300 years after Isaiah recorded it, it was fulfilled; then the fall of Babylon.
    • Began in Daniel’s time.
    • Ultimately destroyed by Medes.
    • Took place 50 miles south of Baghdad.

Some prophecies fulfilled during Isaiah’s lifetime lend credibility.

• Gives more data than others – on “Day of the Lord” and time following.
  • Israel’s future kingdom on earth.
    • Changes in nature
    • Animal world
    • Jerusalem’s status among nations
    • Suffering Servant’s leadership etc.

 

• “Prophetic foreshortening.”
  • Future events w/o exact sequencing.
  • Time GAP’s bt/n events (i.e., future temporal kingdom from eternal kingdom).

He is the “Evangelical Prophet” preaching grace in the final 27 chapters – Isaiah 53 as the centerpiece, Christ as slain Lamb of God.

• Isaiah is divided into two sections:
  • 39 chapters and 27 chapters (like books of the Bible).
    • The second division of Isaiah opens with the ministry of John the Baptist (Is. 40:3-5).
      • Like the NT begins w/John the Baptist (cf. Matt. 3:3; Jn. 1:23).
      • Concludes with new heavens and new earth (Is. 65:17; 66:22) like NT (cf. Rev. 21-22).

 

• Isaiah’s second part (last 27 chapters) includes 4 prophetic songs all about Messiah, “Servant of the Lord.”
  • Chosen by God, empowered by HS (Is. 42),
  • Servant Song (Is. 49),
  • Suffering Servant (Is. 50),
  • Finally, Servant Song (Is. 52-53).
    • Details servant’s mission,
    • Only could be known by God.

 

• Messiah was more than just chosen someone, to learn obedience by humiliation and suffering, empowered by Spirit.
  • Bringing salvation to the world and dying for sin.
  • Full glory is not to be revealed until after suffering.

 

• The picture of Messiah (from Is. 53) is astonishing, unexpected, and baffling to most Jews.
  • The Lord’s Anointed, a suffering slave.
    • Scandalous servant of the Lord, suffering for evil not done.
    • Dying as a substitute for those who deserved to die.
      • Bore guilt of people, “…crushed for our iniquities” (v. 5).
      • “Grave with the wicked” (cf. Is. 53:9-10).

I have come to realize; I am neither mature enough nor perhaps old enough to appreciate the majesty and significance of this book of the Bible.

 

Our question – the same question raised in Isaiah 53:1:

“Who has believed what he has heard from us? And to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed” (v. 1).

• Lamenting our question, “Why Don’t People Believe?”
  • Put another way, “What would it take to convince, all the prophecies concerning Jesus are true?”
    • Especially, Isaiah 53!
    • Let’s center on verse 1.

 

Answering why people don’t believe in Jesus as Messiah, tracing Israel’s three opportunities to believe in Jesus as Messiah.

1. Before Messiah came: Israel should have seen Him coming

This is a song of lament!

• Isaiah sings on Israel’s behalf!
  • They sing it through him. 

• Sung in past tense. 

• Confusing unless you understand the vantage point from which it is sung!

“The prophet is describing the sacrifice of the suffering servant from a vantage point that looks back from a time still in the future even now…seeing the cross from a prophetic perspective near the end of human history…the collective response of the Jewish people when they finally see, understand, and believe the one they rejected as promised Messiah” [MacArthur].

• Isaiah, for Israel (cf. Jn 12:38-40) – Projecting Future, where Israel is looking Backward – lamenting its unbelief!

^ESV  John 12:36-41 While you have the light, believe in the light, that you may become ^asons of light.” When Jesus had said these things, he departed and hid himself from them. ³⁷ Though he had done so many signs before them, they still did not believe in him,^{38 a}so that the word spoken by the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled: ^b“Lord, who has believed what he heard from us, and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?”³⁹ Therefore they ^acould not believe. For again Isaiah said,^{40 a}“He has blinded their eyes and ^bhardened their heart, lest they see with their eyes, and understand with their heart, and turn, and I would heal them.”⁴¹ Isaiah said these things because ^ahe saw his glory and ^bspoke of him. 

• Jesus points to Isaiah looking backward (Is. 6 – Vision) to looking future! 

• These questions from Isaiah (v. 1) make a collective confession for all Israel.
  • What they say on that future day when God’s Nation turns to Christ.
  • Israel, one day turns in masse to Jesus Christ. 

^ESV  Hosea 3:5 Afterward ^athe children of Israel shall return and ^bseek the LORD their God, and ^cDavid their king, ^dand they shall come in fear to the LORD and to his goodness in the ^elatter days.

^ESV  Zechariah 12:10 “And ^aI will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and ^apleas for mercy, so that, ^bwhen they look on me, on him whom they have pierced, ^cthey shall mourn for him, ^das one mourns for an only child, and weep bitterly over him, as one weeps over a firstborn.

^ESV  Zechariah 13:1 ^a“On that day there shall be ^ba fountain opened for the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, to cleanse them from sin and uncleanness. 

^ESV  Romans 11:25-26 ^aLest you be wise in your own sight, I want you to understand this mystery, brothers:^{1 b}a partial hardening has come upon Israel, ^cuntil the fullness of the Gentiles has come in.

²⁶ And in this way all Israel will be saved, as it is written, ^ab“The Deliverer will come ^bfrom Zion, he will banish ungodliness from Jacob” 

Standing prophetically, near end of human history, thousands of years after Jesus was crucified, speaks of Christ’s death, as a past event.

• Lament of future Israel bc/ they are then repentant!
  • Israel looks back at Messiah whom they rejected – now embrace as King.
  • The believing remnant. 

• The remnant believes while nations do not.

Verses preceding Isaiah 53 make up full lament and filling it out.

^ESV  Isaiah 52:13-15 Behold, ^amy servant shall act wisely;¹ he shall be high and lifted up, and shall be exalted. ¹⁴ As many were astonished at you– ^ahis appearance was so marred, beyond human semblance, and his form beyond that of the children of mankind–¹⁵ so ^ashall he sprinkle¹ many nations; ^bkings shall shut their mouths because of him; ^cfor that which has not been told them they see, and that which they have not heard they understand. 

• Prophetic foreshortening, tying together X’s incarnation, Cross, and return in three verses. 

• Verse 15 ties together with the wrath/judgment scene of Revelation 19:15 at the end of the Tribulation.

^ESV  Revelation 19:15 ^aFrom his mouth comes a sharp sword ^bwith which to strike down the nations, and ^che will rule them with a rod of iron. ^dHe will tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty.

• Isaiah, while indicting his own people, documents the most triumphant confession that will every be made in human history.
  • The final act in the story of redemption.
  • A worldwide ethnic community turning in masse, Israel.

What makes this sad is that it took them all the way until the end to believe. Why?

• Look back to the question from Isaiah 53:2.

“And to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?” (v. 2).

• This begs two things.
  • First, accountability.
    • The LORD came first to his own.
    • The Jews were privileged.

 

• Second, revelation.
  • What does “revealed” mean?
  • Why didn’t they believe?

The “arm” of the LORD pictures the power and strength of God.

• The “arm” in Isaiah was a reference of might (cff. 40:10; 48:14; 51:5; 52:10).

^ESV  Isaiah 40:10 ^aBehold, the Lord GOD comes with might, and his arm rules for him; ^bbehold, his reward is with him, and his recompense before him. 

^ESV  Isaiah 48:14 “Assemble, all of you, and listen! ^aWho among them has declared these things? The LORD loves him; ^bhe shall perform his purpose on Babylon, and his arm shall be against ^cthe Chaldeans. 

^ESV  Isaiah 51:5 ^aMy righteousness draws near, my salvation has gone out, and my arms will judge the peoples; ^bthe coastlands hope for me, and for my arm they wait. 

^ESV  Isaiah 52:10 ^aThe LORD has bared his holy arm before the eyes of all the nations, ^band all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God. 

• The “arm” delivered Jews from Egypt by miracle power, parted the Red Sea, promised to defeat Babylon.
  • But instead, the shock, the “arm” is revealed as “a tender shoot!” (v. 3).
    • Unexpected! Not a mighty oak! Bursting leader!
    • A small shoot (a “sucker”) springing up from an exposed root.
      • A gardener would quicky snip it off!
      • Unwanted, tossed aside – would not last a minute.

 

• Not a power-leader!
  • “…he had not form or majesty that we should look at him, and not beauty that we should desire him!” (v. 2).
  • Think of King Saul.

^ESV  1 Samuel 9:1-2 There was a man of Benjamin whose name was ^aKish, the son of Abiel, son of Zeror, son of Becorath, son of Aphiah, a Benjaminite, a man of wealth. ² And he had a son whose name was Saul, ^aa handsome young man. There was not a man among the people of Israel more handsome than he. ^bFrom his shoulders upward he was taller than any of the people. 

^ESV  1 Samuel 9:20 ^aAs for your donkeys that were lost three days ago, do not set your mind on them, for they have been found. And for whom is all that is desirable in Israel? Is it not for you and for all your father’s house?” 

• Like the boy David, the root of Jesse, chosen last because he was not tall and dark like his brothers (1 Sam. 16:12).

^ESV  1 Samuel 16:6-14 When they came, he looked on ^aEliab and thought, “Surely the LORD’s anointed is before him.” ⁷ But the LORD said to Samuel, ^a“Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the LORD sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, ^bbut the LORD looks on the heart.”⁸ Then Jesse called ^aAbinadab and made him pass before Samuel. And he said, “Neither has the LORD chosen this one.”⁹ Then Jesse made ^aShammah pass by. And he said, “Neither has the LORD chosen this one.”¹⁰ And Jesse made seven of his sons pass before Samuel. And Samuel said to Jesse, “The LORD has not chosen these.”¹¹ Then Samuel said to Jesse, “Are all your sons here?” And he said, ^a“There remains yet the youngest,¹ but behold, he is keeping the sheep.” And Samuel said to Jesse, ^b“Send and get him, for we will not sit down till he comes here.”¹² And he sent and brought him in. Now he was ^aruddy and had beautiful eyes and was handsome. And the LORD said, ^b“Arise, anoint him, for this is he.”¹³ Then Samuel took ^athe horn of oil ^band anointed him in the midst of his brothers. ^cAnd the Spirit of the LORD rushed upon David from that day forward. And Samuel rose up and went to Ramah.^{14 a}Now the Spirit of the LORD departed from Saul, ^band a harmful spirit from the LORD tormented him. 

Finally, back to my original point, Israel should have seen Him coming!

Turn to Luke 24 when the risen Jesus met two on the road to Emmaus answers this dilemma.

• Jesus is incredulous regarding their unbelief!
• They should have tied all this together!

^ESV  Luke 24:25-27 And he said to them, “O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! ^{26 a}Was it not necessary that ^bthe Christ should suffer these things and enter into ^chis glory?”²⁷ And ^abeginning with ^bMoses and ^call the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself. 

• Later that same evening the Lord said to the eleven Apostles, gathered in upper room:

^ESV  Luke 24:44-47 Then he said to them, ^a“These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, ^bthat everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.” ⁴⁵ Then ^ahe opened their minds to understand the Scriptures,⁴⁶ and said to them, “Thus ^ait is written, ^bthat the Christ should suffer and on the third day ^crise from the dead,⁴⁷ and that ^arepentance and forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed ^bin his name ^cto all nations, ^dbeginning from Jerusalem. 

Breaking this book, Isaiah into two sections:

• Chapters 1-39 bringing mainly judgment.
• Chapters 40-66 bringing good news.
  • Marks central chapter in this section – Isaiah 53.
  • Grouping Isaiah 52:13-53:12 as a complete unit.
    • A song of salvation.
      • Puts 53:5 at the center of this salvation song!
      • Meaning Christ’s substitutionary atonement is the nucleus of it all! 

• The answer to everyone’s deepest need.

^ESV  Isaiah 53:5 ^aBut he was wounded for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, ^band with his stripes we are healed.

• This promise means everything when — “revealed” to you by the LORD.
• What we will sing (like the Nation, Israel) through all Eternity! 

“How much was truly “revealed” to God’s people, before he came?”

We will see this on Christmas Eve!

• Israel should have believed before He came.
• Israel should have believed when He came. 

God holds us accountable, today, to believe – to receive this “arm” of the LORD.

• Understanding why Israel did not see their Messiah when he came – Answers – How to not miss HIM today! 

2. When Messiah came: Israel should have believed when he came

[To whom has the “arm of the Lord” been revealed?] [Luke 24 — Pictures and Prophesies — Pg. 28]

[Explain Jesus’ indictment on Israel as Nation? – Luke 24 — “How is it that you do not believe – slow of heart”]

[Luke 24 – it was all about him] [List pictures – List prophesies] [Why did Israel not see him? – their unbelief – “slow of heart”]

[All of the pictures and predictions!] NEVER ENOUGH – WHY? – Eyes to see!

[Isaiah 6] – quoted in all 4 Gospels – parables and in Acts 28] [Perplexing calling unless you understand the LORD’s goal in preaching] – reveals God’s justice and judgment when Israel rejects Jesus – see the grace of God – Israel was under a “spirit of stupor” – Romans 11 — Romans 15:8-13 – Israel’s unbelief ushered in Gentile faith – Gentile entrance into the family of God.] [Illus of Gentile faith believing from quoting Isaiah 53 – Ethiopian having explained by Philip / Acts 8]

3. When Messiah comes again: Israel will believe when he comes again

[Is Israel all lost – forever? — Daniel – tribulation period explaining 7^th week! – Zech. 12:10 – Daniel 7 – Revelation 1:6-8 – fulfilled Rev. 19 — Last moment as a Nation where believe — 144,000 have believed – now all the Nation]

[Explain rest of chapter – Isaiah 53]